The Department for Education (DfE) is considering launching a regional Industry Placement Coordinators (IPCO) project to support T Levels within NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICS).

T Levels combine classroom learning with an industry placement of at least 315 hours.

Industry placements offer students work experience to enhance their career prospects.

The DfE funded a pilot in 2023-25, embedding IPCOs within seven ICSs, to support the NHS to host more industry placements, addressing challenges such as limited resources and lack of awareness.

Vision: Building on the pilots success, the DfE wishes to explore a further project, expanding the scope of the role to cover a whole region.

Each IPCO would be based within an ICS with a wider geographical remit, to broaden their impact.

Desired outcomes include: - High-quality industry placement experience and a pathway to employment within the NHS - Enhanced employer engagement - Closer relationships between employers and providers - Standardised, efficient processes - Sustainability.

The aims of this early market engagement event are to explore: - interest in hosting an IPCO. - how regional coverage could be achieved, including: how IPCOs might manage the additional workload; how this would change the role (balancing strategic and operational work); and the implications for governance. - how best to distribute IPCOs, given that some NHS regions have more ICSs than others. - how quickly the project could start, with the goal of having IPCOs in post by 01.10.2025 - risks and mitigations. - sustainability of the project's impact beyond the funding period, including alternative ways IPCOs could be funded after DfE funding ceases.

DfE will be hosting an open, virtual market engagement event on 7th February 2025 from 10:00-11:00 via Microsoft Teams. (Teams event meeting link below): https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e1d6fbaf-5883-4a18-852f-75aaf8eabdeb@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9 Registered attendees will join the webinar with their cameras and mics off.

They can participate via chat, reactions and Q&A and a Supplier Feedback Questionnaire will be distributed after the event to gather feedback on the propositions.

Please note this is not a call for competition and does not commit us to procuring or procuring services in specific ways, and any future opportunities are subject to budget decisions and availability.